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Monday, June 27, 2016

"Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush was released in 1978. It appeared on her album The Kick Inside. Kate Bush was inspired to write this song after seeing the BBC miniseries of Wuthering Heights. She has said that the last 10 minutes of that program inspired this song. "Wuthering Heights" was written at a single sitting.I didn't discover this song until my college years, the 1980's. I was an English: Creative Writing major, so of course I loved the swooping romanticism of this song, and the references to Wuthering Heights. The lyrics include:"Bad dreams in the night.
They told me I was going to lose the fight,
Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering Heights.

And now, the video for your enjoyment -- the interpretive dancing is a bit dated but the song is still beautiful!Do you remember this song? What is your favorite song based on literature? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Friday, June 24, 2016

I hope you are having a good week and staying cool. It is very hot in the deep south right now! I am enjoying indoor time with air conditioning and fans.

I have a guest post from two special friends today. Cadbury and Woodbury are two beautiful bunny rabbits, and they wrote this interview a couple of months ago. You met their kitty sister, Scotty, here before. I have had this interview scheduled. I was so sad to hear that Cadbury passed away in late May. With permission of Cadbury and Woodbury's mother, Beth, I am running this interview in special memory of Cadbury. Abby: What is your background and how did you end up in rescue?

Cadbury: Hello, Abby! I'm a girl rabbit, and I don't know how old I am. I don't remember much about before, and I know I lived with humans a long time ago, but about five or six years ago, I was suddenly outside all by myself. At first it was fun to run around all over the grass, but then it got scary and lonely and hard to find good food.

Then a young girl and her brother found me where they waited for their school bus. Their parents put up flyers to see if someone would claim me, but no one did. They couldn't keep me permanently because they were moving, but they spread the word that I needed a home. Then one day, my new humans came to pick me up! Mother named me Cadbury because I looked like a chocolate bunny! She thinks I might be something called a Holland Lop. (Photo of Cadbury below)

Woodbury: I'm a boy bunny, and unsure of my age, too. All I know is that a few years ago, I was let out into a neighborhood, and it was awful. I was scared of all the noise and big things whizzing by me. It was dark and rainy, and I was all covered in mud, when a tall boy came by on his run and spotted me. He brought me home to his mom (also human), and they cleaned me up and gave me carrots! Like Cad's rescuers, they were moving and couldn't keep me - but the mom, Diane, knew a friend who really likes bunnies. (Photo of Woodbury below)

Cadbury: I heard Mother say, "What's one more bunny in the house?"

Abby: How were your first days at your new home?

Cadbury: It wasn't too bad when I got to the new people's house. They put my little hutch on a big wooden table right where everyone would walk by and talk to me. One thing made me nervous - these strange creatures (I learned they're cats) would sit on the table and just stare at me. I didn't care for it. However, I tried stamping my back feet, and it was great! When I did that, they all jumped about a foot in the air and ran away. Ha ha! Now, sometimes I'll sneak out of my cage at night to explore the house (Mother frowns on this). The cats watch me from a distance. They're afraid of my feet!

Cadbury: At first, Mother would take me to church for Easter, and to the church booth at a local Scottish festival, too. I got tired of the limelight, though, and started to get nervous around lots of kids and big people. Luckily, Woodbury came along at the right time to do public appearances. He doesn't seem to mind.

Abby: What are a few of your favorite things?

Woodbury: Carrots!

Cadbury: I like when Dad holds me on his lap. I like secretly exploring, and I love little soft toys to play with and sleep on. My favorite thing to eat is this cranberry cookie treat that our human friend Tom brings us.

Woodbury: Would it surprise you, Abby, to learn that I love carrots? I also enjoy a big wooden toy that's fun to chew - and it is great to throw against my dish to alert Mom that I feel hungry!

Abby: Do you have any tips for people who want to adopt a rescue pet?

Cadbury and Woodbury: Our advice is - don't put bunnies in Easter baskets! All bunnies need lots of love and care, because we don't get along so great on our own. We may not look like it in our photos, but we're both pretty small, so we need some protection and help. All rabbits, no matter what size, should be chosen to be a part of the family for always - not just a holiday!

Special thanks to Beth for helping with this interview. I am so sorry about Cadbury's passing. She had a wonderful home with your family. Please give Woodbury a gentle pet for me! (Please tell him that I am very gentle with bunnies, although I am a dog.)

Dear friends, if you would like to leave a comment, I would love to hear from you! Thank you for visiting today.Love,Abby xoxoxo

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

It's the first week of Summer! Yay! I love the slow, leisurely pace of the Summer months. I will confess to a love of frozen fruit flavored treats, too.

Last week I saw a reference to Otter Pops online and it took me back to my childhood. I loved Otter Pops and the similar Fla-Vor-Ice pops.

Otter Pops were originally marketed in 1970 by National Pax. They are still made and sold today (I saw a huge box at Wal-Mart last week and it took all my will power not to buy!) These pops have 40 calories and come in flavors including:

In 1995 the company tried to replace Sir Isaac Lime with Scarlett O'Cherry, but a well organized protest by fourth graders stopped this change. (Too bad -- the cherry frozen fruit pops sound delicious!)

Do you remember Otter Pops or Fla-Vor-Ice from your childhood? Are you still a fan of these frozen treats? They are part of summer nostalgia for me, and always fun (and delicious!). I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Monday, June 20, 2016

If I was making a playlist of my favorite summer songs, "All Summer Long" by The Beach Boys would be high on the list. This song was written in 1964 by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, and it's the title song of The Beach Boys' All Summer Long album. The harmonies are wonderful, and that is a xylophone you hear in the background, along with a piano.The lyrics capture old fashioned summer fun like:

"T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs
(T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs)
We've been having fun all summer long
(All summer long you've been with me)
I can't see enough of you
(All summer long we've both been free)
Won't be long til summer time is through
(Summer time is through)
Not for us now
Miniature golf and Hondas in the hills
(Miniature golf and Hondas in the hills)
When we rode the horse we got some thrills
Every now and the we hear our song
(Every now and the we hear our song)
We've been having fun all summer long"Here are two minutes of retro summer happiness:Do you like the Beach Boys? What is your favorite of their songs? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Dear Friends,How is your week? Is it hot in your part of the world? It is very hot here in the deep south. I am enjoying extra time in front of fans, which are in every room here. I am also grateful for air conditioning! I do not like hot weather, and will sometimes lie on the foot of the bed about two feet from a fan.In other news, a tree surgeon came to my neighborhood and worked on a tree. Then there was a big wood chipper right out front of my house and it made a fearsome noise!On a much happier note, I have a beautiful little friend to introduce you to today. Emma is a 2 year old Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund mix). As a proud Doxie mix (Dachshund/Jack Russell), I love Chiweenies, and my Momma does too!

Abby: What is your background and how did you end up in
rescue?

Emma: Not much is known about my story. I was found with my sisters and
brother and we didn't have a mom. We were brought back to Good Karma Animal
Rescue of MN and united with Snow, who became our surrogate mom. Snow was a
great mom until we could be on our own even though she was heartworm positive.
We stayed with her until we were all old enough and then we went to different
fosters home until we could be adopted. (Emma and Mama Snow pictured below.)

Abby: How were your first days at your new home?

Emma: It only
took me a few minutes to get used to my new space because I'm pretty saucy. I
was introduced to my two new brothers, Monte and Roscoe. Even though I was
smaller than them they didn't treat me with kid gloves and we started playing
and rough housing right away. My Mom and Dad let me sleep in bed with them and I
quickly found out they were going to treat me like the tomboy princess I
am.

Abby: What are a few of your favorite things?

Emma: I love
cuddling up with my humans or my siblings (in addition to my brothers, my humans
just adopted a doxie named Raya from the same rescue I'm from!), meeting new
foster siblings, carrying around my favorite toys (the wubba, spike ball, or
chew ring), and getting ANY and ALL attention from everyone I meet.

Abby: Do you have any tips for people who want to adopt a
rescue pet?

Emma: My humans foster so I get to meet new foster siblings and teach them
all about living in a home. Each new sibling is different - some of them warm up
right away and others can be shy. Sometimes you have to go slow when someone new
comes to a new space because it can be scary. It's kind of like if you went to a
new country and you didn't speak the language and everything was loud and
unknown. So if you adopt a rescue pet just remember that there will be a
transition period. Go at their pace!

Abby: Is there a rescue group you want to send a shout
out to ?

Emma:Good Karma Animal Rescue of MN. They're a small but mighty rescue that help the hardest
cases - seniors, bonded seniors, animals that have medical issues, etc. The
rescue is foster based and runs on donations, so volunteers and helps is always
welcome.

What a wonderful rescue story! Emma, thank you so much for visiting today. I love it that your humans foster. That is great, and you get to make lots of new pupper friends that way, too.

Dear friends, if you have any comments of questions for Emma, or if you would like to be featured here, please leave a comment below.

Book SynopsisA chance run-in with a college boyfriend puts a young woman’s
picture-perfect life in perspective in this warm-hearted and lyrical
novel—from the author of The Lake Season.

Since finishing graduate school, Maggie Griffin has worked hard to
build an enviable life in Boston. She’s an elementary school teacher in a
tony Boston suburb, a devoted sister, and a loving aunt. With her
childhood best friend’s wedding quickly approaching and her own
relationship blossoming, this is the summer she has been waiting for.

But when Maggie’s career is suddenly in jeopardy, her life begins to
unravel. Stricken, Maggie returns home to seaside Mystic, Connecticut,
where she expects to find comfort in family and familiarity. Instead,
she runs into Cameron Wilder, a young man from her past who has also
returned home, and whose life has taken a turn that puts Maggie’s city
struggles in harsh perspective. When tragedy strikes for Cameron, Maggie
is faced with big decisions as she weighs what matters most and strives
to stay true to the person she’s become.

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of a New England summer when past and present collide, Mystic Summer is a gorgeous novel about looking back, moving forward, and the beauty that blooms when fate intervenes.

Purchase Links

Hannah McKinnon is the author of The Lake Season and Mystic Summer.
She graduated from Connecticut College and the University of South
Australia. She lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with her family, a
flock of chickens, and two rescue dogs.

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Mystic Summer. Giveaway is open to readers in U.S. and Canada, and ends on 6/24. The winner will be notified by email, and will need to respond within 48 hours. The author or her publicist will mail the book directly to the winner.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, June 13, 2016

The author of A Gilded Grave returns to
Newport, Rhode Island, at the close of the nineteenth century, where
headstrong heiress Deanna Randolph must solve another murder among the
social elite.

With her mother in Europe, Deanna is
staying with the Ballard family, who agree to chaperone her through the
summer season and guide her toward an advantageous marriage proposal—or
so her mother hopes. Relishing her new freedom, Deanna is more
interested in buying one of the fashionable new bathing costumes,
joining a ladies’ bicycling club, and befriending an actress named
Amabelle Deeks, all of which would scandalize her mother.

Far more scandalous is the discovery of a
young man bludgeoned to death on the conservatory floor at Bonheur, the
Ballards’ sumptuous “cottage.” Deanna recognizes him as an actor who
performed at the birthday fete for a prominent judge the night before.
But why was he at Bonheur? And where is Amabelle?

Concerned her new friend may be in
danger—or worse—Deanna enlists the help of her intrepid maid, Elspeth,
and her former beau, Joe Ballard, to find Amabelle before the villain of
this drama demands an encore.

My ReviewA Golden Cage is the second book in Shelley Freydont's Newport Gilded Age series. (I enjoyed reading the first book, A Gilded Grave, last year.)Deanna Randolph is enjoying staying at the Ballard family's "cottage" while her family is in Europe. However, when an actor from a traveling theater troupe is found dead in the Ballard's conservatory, and a young actress goes missing, the mystery begins. Deanna works to solve the mystery with her lady's maid and friend, Elspeth, and her former beau, Joe.

I love how atmospheric this book is. The historical details are wonderful, and the author does a great job at evoking the Gilded Age. I found the glimpse of the traveling theater troupe particularly interesting.

Deanna is becoming one of my favorite mystery amateur detectives. She is so smart and determined, and pursues solving mysteries in a time when women had very little freedom. I really like her friendship with Elspeth, and the way they bridge class differences to work so well together.

The mystery in A Golden Cage was well plotted, and it kept me guessing until the end.

This is such a delightful read, and I recommend it highly to other fans of historical mysteries. Anyone who misses Downton Abbey will particularly enjoy this read, with the nice interplay of upstairs and downstairs life.

Author Bio

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery, Celebration Bay Festival Mysteries, (Silent Knife, Trick or Deceit),the
Katie McDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company
mystery series. Her Newport Gilded Age Mystery seires began in June 2015
with A Gilded Grave, followed in June 2016 with A Golden Cage.

Shelley loves puzzles of all kinds and
when not writing or reading mysteries, she’s most likely working on a
jigsaw, Sudoku, or crossword.

Friday, June 10, 2016

I hope you are having a great week! All is well in my world ... a nice, quiet week here. Momma has been working hard and I have been a great helper.

Today I have a beautiful visitor for you to meet. Bella is a 4 year old Bluetick Hound Mix. Naturally, I love hounds!

Abby: What is your background and how did you
end up in rescue?

Bella: My mommy wasn't supposed to be puppy shopping, but she came to
the pound anyway. Even though her mom and boyfriend (who is now my daddy) told
her she didn't need a puppy while she was still in college, she was stubborn
(just like me) and took me home anyway. Now my daddy can't imagine life without
me, and my grandma loves me too! Mommy knew what she was doing!

Abby: How were your first days at your new
home?

Bella: They were a little confusing, because mommy had to pack up for college for
the new semester, and I had to stay with Grandma and Grandpa while mommy got
settled into her new house. But we were reunited soon enough.

Abby: What are a few of your favorite things?

Bella: My favorite thing to do is eat out of the trashcan. It's so yummy! I also really
like bossing around my sisters, Molly and Freckles. I win every time. Because
I'm amazing!

Abby: Do you have any tips for people who
want to adopt a rescue pet?

Bella: Pick a pet you feel an instant connection to. Even
though mommy and I are different, we always still love each other because we
have a good mommy-daughter connection. I know she loves me even when I make her
mad. Also, make sure you are able to take care of them. If they have a lot of
energy, you need to have a fenced-in yard or go for lots of walks!

Bella, thank you so much for visiting today! I loved learning about your happy rescue story. (I must admit I am a little jealous that you can go trashcan surfing! I am too short for that, but it sounds like fun.)

Friends, if you would like to leave a message or question for Bella, you can leave a comment below. I would also love to hear from you if you have a rescued cat or dog who would like to be featured here.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Book SynopsisOne plucky female pharmacist + one high-society naval officer =
romance-and dangerFor plucky Lillian Avery, America's entry
into World War II means a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The
challenges of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer
Vandenberg's attentions only annoy---even if he is her brother's best
friend.During the darkest days of the war, Arch's destroyer hunts German
U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East
Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with
their nerves---and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large
prescriptions for sedatives Lillian has filled? The two work together to answer
that question, but can Arch ever earn Lillian's trust and
affection?Sarah Sundin brings World War II to life, offering readers an
intense experience they won't soon forget.

My ReviewI had the pleasure of reviewing the first book in Sarah Sundin'sWaves of Freedom series, Through Waters Deep, last year. I've been eagerly awaiting this book, and it exceeded my expectations.

Anchor in the Storm is a lovely historical novel set during World War II. It tells the story of Lillian Avery, a pharmacist in a time where women rarely held this job. She is strong and resilient, and has worked hard to achieve all her life after a childhood accident left her an amputee with a prosthetic leg.

Lillian moves to Boston and finds friendship and sparks of romance with her brother's best friend, Ensign Arch
Vandenberg. When he notices a sedative problem on his ship, she realizes there may be a connection to sedatives (in large quantities) filled by her pharmacy.

The mystery in this novel is well done and kept me guessing until it began to unfold.

I loved the romance between Lillian and Arch as she learned to trust him, and as they both found greater happiness and faith.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and the 1940's is my favorite historical setting. The historical details in this book were beautifully done. I found the 1940's pharmacy particularly interesting.

The first book in this series was one of my favorite reads from 2015, and I am sure this book will make my list in 2016. I absolutely loved it, and am already looking forward to the next book in the series. Very highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and inspirational reads.

Author Bio

Sarah Sundin is the
author of Through Waters Deep, as well as Wings of the Nightingale and
the Wings of Glory series. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy,
she works on call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served
as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US
Eighth Air Force. Sarah lives in California.

About Me

Trish is a long-time online seller who loves all things vintage, but especially vintage children's books and ephemera. In other lives, worked as a bookstore manager and preschool teacher. Always pursuing vintage treasures, great reads, interesting words, and happiness.